Cardinals vs. Pirates: MLB Betting Insights Revealed

The St. Louis Cardinals face off against the Pittsburgh Pirates in a crucial NL Central clash on Wednesday. With both teams looking to gain ground in the division, this matchup offers intriguing betting opportunities.

Key Takeaways:

• Cardinals are slight -118 favorites on the money line
• The total is set at 7.5 runs
• SportsLine's model projects 9.8 total runs scored

The Cardinals (5-6) and Pirates (4-8) continue their series at PNC Park on Wednesday afternoon, with first pitch scheduled for 12:35 p.m. ET. St. Louis snapped a four-game skid with Tuesday's 5-3 victory, evening up the series after Pittsburgh's 8-4 win on Monday.

Oddsmakers have installed the Cardinals as -118 favorites on the money line, while the over/under total sits at 7.5 runs. However, SportsLine's advanced computer model, which simulates each MLB game 10,000 times, projects a higher-scoring affair with 9.8 total runs.

On the mound, St. Louis turns to right-hander Erick Fedde (1-1, 7.00 ERA). After a strong season debut against Minnesota, Fedde struggled in his last outing at Boston. He'll look to bounce back against a Pirates lineup he's handled well historically, posting a 1-0 record and 2.81 ERA in three career starts versus Pittsburgh.

For the Pirates, Mitch Keller (1-1, 7.45 ERA) takes the ball. The right-hander was solid in his season opener at Miami but is coming off a rough outing. Keller has mixed results against St. Louis in his career, going 2-3 with a 3.72 ERA across 13 starts.

At the plate, Cardinals second baseman Brendan Donovan enters on a tear with three straight multi-hit games. He's batting a scorching .395 with 10 RBIs through 11 games this season. For Pittsburgh, Isiah Kiner-Falefa has hits in 8 of his last 10 games and owns a .405 career average against St. Louis.

The SportsLine model leans towards the Over on the total and identifies one side of the money line as having all the value. Bettors looking for an edge should consider the model's MLB picks before placing their wagers on this NL Central showdown.

With both offenses showing signs of life and the model projecting a higher-scoring game than oddsmakers expect, this Cardinals-Pirates matchup presents an intriguing opportunity for MLB bettors on Wednesday afternoon.